Draped Nimbostratus (An Open Window Unit) represents a hybrid form of design, involving textile art, sculpture and architecture. The works is a sound absorbing installation and a result of Bendixen’s PhD thesis on the possibilities of an acoustic textile architecture, in which the placement under the ceiling as well as the folded structure increase the sound absorbing property of the textile.

 Draped Nimbostratus (An Open Window Unit) is made of 100 % woven new wool (Divina from Kvadrat A/S) and polyester wire. The cloud is built up of rhombus shaped modules of 175 x 190 cm (in plane state). Draped Nimbostratus is an attempt to develop the architectural potential of sound absorption. Sound absorption ‘sounds’ like an open window – the sound disappears. This was demonstrated by W. C. Sabine in 1898 and consequently he called the unit of measurement Open Window Unit.

 Draped Nimbostratus (An Open Window Unit) reveals how a relatively massive and extensive material also visually can construct space as the cloud can give rise to associations to the outside. In this way the visual impression can support the auditory sensation of space. With concurrent auditory and visual expressions, sound absorption can become an architectural parameter and contribute to sensuously nuanced spaces.

 The title Draped Nimbostratus refers to the cloud motif but also to the way the textile is folded and draped. This means that the folds in the textile arise from the way the textile hangs – which is determined by its weight versus its stiffness. Only the technique is chosen by the architect – wires draw the textile together – the final form is given by the textile and by gravity. The intention behind the work is to reveal the inherent forces of textile and in the same time obtain a poetic analogy to nature.

Selected exhibitions

May 2015 : Stand Galerie Maria Wettergren, Design Miami/Basel, Switzerland

2014 : Open Window Units, Nicolai, Kolding, Denmark

2012 : Under en Sort Sol, Rundetårn, Copenhagen, Denmark